The Grubby Mitts From: United Kingdom The Grubby Mitts are a 5-piece band from Bedfordshire, fronted by visual artist Andy Holden who recently exhibited at the TATE Britain. Their debut single ( out on 18th April) 'To A Friends House' takes it's refrain from a cross-stitching that used to hang by the front door of Holden's grandmother's house. It's quirky, affectionate, affecting and sounds like The Polyphonic Spree [...]
Back in 2004, Beach Boys principal songwriter Brian Wilson closed the door on a very troubling part of his life. That would be his long gestating project, SMiLE . Surprising music fans everywhere, Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks, and Darian Sahanaja fleshed out the necessary holes, completing what many rock enthusiasts consider to be a legendary record. Now, some seven years later, Wilson plans to open that door again with what Capitol Records is titling, The Smile Sessions . Due for release later this year, Capitol plans on using the original recording [...]
Death has a very special place in American culture. America grew as a frontier nation in the constant shadow of death. Americans love dead heroes, from George Washington to Elvis Presley. Music and movie stars like Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Jim Morrison, Hank Williams and Patsy Cline have made much more money since their deaths than during their lives. Even to make it onto an American postage stamp you have to be dead for at least ten years. Every October 31st, on Halloween, normal American children dress up as ghosts, mummies, ghouls and vampires and make a party out of death. [...]
I caught wind of this German take on the Beach Boys "In My Room" via a collection of non-English covers over at When You Awake last year. While I wouldn't go so far as to say the version has supplanted the original, damn if I haven't reached for it time and again over the past [...]
For shame, little peanuts! I got no listening suggestions last week so I spent my time listening to old Thursday and Taking Back Sunday records. I place the blame solely on you. Although, Autobiography of a Nation is still a pretty bad ass song. Welcome to another Old and Jaded, Buzzgrinderers! This edition promises to be especially jaded - so strap in. I bought my ticket to the Dashboard Confessional Swiss Army Romance tour, and I honestly don't know what to expect. I [...]
This is a wonderful day. February is no more, and finally we can bid farewell to the dullness and bitter cold of the month. Suitably enough, I was sick for the majority of it. Now that March is here, it is hardly surprising that I feel infinitely better. Being able to keep my windows open [...]
Filed under: Spinner Interview WireImage As one of the most enigmatic and celebrated songwriters of the modern era, Brian Wilson has yielded harmonic pop perfection throughout his career, first achieved in the 1960s with the Beach Boys and subsequently over the past 10 years with a revitalization of his work on stage and in the studio. This week marks the release of 'Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin,' a musical meeting of two songwriting masters in Wilson and [...]
Filed under: Exclusive , You Oughta Know , Canada The all-in-the-family dynamic has always been an interesting part of music making -- and marketing. It worked for the White Stripes , kept Oasis interesting and made ABBA 's pop ballads all the more emotional back when the quartet were two attractive, happily married couples. This almost-scientific appeal is also working for the Balconies , the indie pop-rock trio made up of lovers Liam Jaeger (drums) and Jacquie Neville (vocals/guitar), along with her younger [...]
Filed under: What's That Song? ' Home ,' by Engineers The polygamists on ' Big Love ' have received a makeover. The HBO series has revamped its opening credits for its fourth season, changing its theme song from the 1966 Beach Boys tune ' God Only Knows ' to 'Home,' a 2004 single by London-based shoegazers Engineers. The soft yet ominous sound of 'Home' sets the tone for the dramatic series and moves away from the dark humor [...]
Filed under: News , R.I.P. Larry Knechtel , a one-time collaborator of Elvis Presley 's and an accomplished sideman, died Thursday, Aug. 20 at the age of 69. Knechtel, who won a 1970 Grammy award for his arrangement of Simon and Garfunkel 's enduring 'Bridge Over Troubled Water,' succumbed to an apparent heart attack, according to a report by his local newspaper, the Yakima Herald Republic . As a session keyboardist and bassist, Knechtel performed with a wide array of artists like the Beach Boys [...]
Filed under: News , New Music , Exclusive It was a Top 40 hit 27 years ago, but 'Someday, Someway' is still alive and kicking and so is its creator, Marshall Crenshaw . 10 studio albums later, the singer-songwriter's current release, 'Jaggedland,' finds him forsaking his usual one-man-band arrangements and adding some legendary sidemen to the mix. Contributing to the album are MC5 co-founder Wayne Kramer, drummer Jim Keltner (three of the Beatles ' solo albums, the Rolling Stones , many more), bassist Sebastian Steinberg [...]
Filed under: The Hit List The summer of 2000 belonged to ' Thong Song ' and ' Who Let the Dogs Out .' The dog days of 1997 would have been unrecognizable without ' MMMBop .' But the truly timeless songs of summer are the ones written about the season itself. These all-time summer hits are hotter than black vinyl car seats in Arizona and more fun than running through the sprinkler. 10. ' In the Summertime ,' Mungo [...]
Filed under: Clash of the Cover Songs The Rules for Battle: Each week, we pit versions of the same song by two different artists in a head-to-head death match for musical supremacy. (Sometimes it will be the original recording vs. a cover version; other times it will be two different covers.) Then it's up to you to decide: Listen to and vote on which version you think should emerge victorious and which should be sent packing. May the best band win! [...]
Filed under: Rock Almanac Spinner.com : On This Date in 1983: Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson drowns after diving off his boat in Marina Del Rey, Calif. The Almanac Advises for December 28: "Part of any safe boating practice is knowing and heeding the following rules: 1. Attend a boating... Read more
Filed under: Rock Almanac Spinner.com : On This Date in 1964: Brian Wilson has a panic attack on board a flight during a Beach Boys tour, which leads to his quitting the road for several years. The Almanac Advises for December 23: "A fear of flying can often be overcome through techniques... Read more
Filed under: Rock Almanac Spinner.com : On This Date in 1988: Stan Love, former Beach Boys manager and brother of frontman Mike Love, is sentenced to five years' probation for embezzling $300,000 from the band. The Almanac Advises for November 16: "Sibling rivalry is a reality that every... Read more
Filed under: Rock Almanac Spinner.com : On This Date in 1974: 'Endless Summer,' a compilation of the Beach Boys' 1960s hits, crests to the No. 1 position on the Billboard 200 Albums chart.The Almanac Advises for October 5: "Some climatologists worry that as a result of global warming,... Read more
The Devil Has The Best Tuna
Consequence Of Sound
Noise Narcs: Say Yes to Music
An Aquarium Drunkard
BUZZGRINDER
Obscure Sound
Spinner.com
Song of the Day: “Back in the Fall” from Zachary Lucky
No Doubt & Beyoncè: "Undone" ed "End Of Time" saranno i nuovi singoli
Just Because
Debut LP From Irish Garage Rockers Cheap Freaks Out Now!
